“No.5!”

  Upon Zero’s call, no.5 took a small knife out of his pocket and cut his hand open. He formed the blood into a sickle and threw it at no.1.

  No.1 jumped back quickly and shot the sickle, bursting it and making the blood splatter everywhere. Zero began to clench her fist, but no.1 was faster.

  After firing the first shot, he bent one knee and fired another shot right at Zero.

  “Duck left!” I yelled.

  She stopped her activation and reacted to my command, narrowly avoiding the yellow beam. No.1 then ran a couple of steps backward and moved the dial on his gun. The gun radiated a light blue hue as he stopped and took aim once again.

  “No.5, use a scattershot attack! If we can just tag him once, we can go in for the kill!”

  “On it!”

  He brought his hands close together, and a small orb of blood began forming. He pressed down on it, and a countless number of small blood needles began spewing forth from the orb until nothing was left.

  He’s vastly improved on his gift since the fight with Zagra.

  As he released the needles, Zero unsheathed her katana and ran in an arc path to avoid the needles and get closer to no.1 at the same time.

  No.1 threw off his jacket and waved it at the incoming needles. In one motion, he not only knocked away the first wave but also obscured our vision of him.

  “Oh no, you don’t!”

  Zero clenched her fist, and the incoming waves of needles all bloomed and burst. A large explosion of blood erupted, essentially creating a wall between him and us. However, we heard a shot ring out, and the massive blood explosion had been turned completely into ice.

  “You two! It seems that gun controls an element depending on which dial it’s turned to. Be careful!”

  No.5 nodded his head as another shot rang out from behind the wall. We heard a whizzing sound like something was rising in the air, and we all looked up. A large fireball had risen over the wall, and before we could even act, it exploded, and a shower of flames fell on both sides.

  *BANG*

  While our attention was focused on the flames falling from the sky, another shot rang out from behind the wall. In a second, a yellow beam pierced through the ice and hit no.5 in the chest.

  “Gagh!”

  He held his chest and stumbled backward as blood leaked from his mouth. No.1 didn’t give us any time to recuperate; however, as before the flames fell to the ground, two more yellow beams pierced through the wall. One of them narrowly missed Zero, while the other was aimed perfectly at no.5 once more.

  Because he stumbled backward, he was within grabbing range of me. I quickly grabbed his jacket and pulled him down, making the shot graze his left arm instead.

  “I–*hack*!”

  “Shut up and focus on stopping the bleeding.”

  As I said that, the fire finally hit the grass, making flames begin to spread around the field.

  “Aaagh!” Zero screamed.

  Some of the embers had fallen on her hair, and she was attempting to outmaneuver the flames while getting rid of the ones on her head.

  *BOOM*

  A loud explosion resounded throughout the field as a figure flew above the wall. With a severely bloody left arm, No.1 flew through the air on a path towards Zero.

  “Above you!”

  Zero looked up and brought her katana into a guard stance. No.1 flipped his gun upside down, and a curved blade came out from the butt of the gun. He brought it down on Zero’s katana, staggering her slightly from the force.

  Zero braced her legs and pushed him off of her blade, and almost instantly, he flipped the dial to yellow and turned it right-side up, aiming at her.

  She instinctively ducked as he fired and ran forward, attempting a forward slice. He flipped the gun once more and blocked it with the blade. Dragging the blade across the katana, he redirected it to the side, firing a hasty shot that grazed her right shoulder.

  “Apologies, Zero, but I’m bored of playing defense.”

  He took a step forward and slashed quickly with the blade while firing a shot at the same time. With otherworldly precision, he barraged Zero with a myriad of slashes, while barring any counterattacks with his quick-switch shooting. Zero was doing her best to block the slices, but the gunshots kept disorienting her.

  “I can’t let this continue,” I said, drawing my gun.

  I aimed my gun at no.1, who was pressing the attack, and fired.

  No.1 heard the shot and jumped back, but reacting after hearing it won’t let you avoid the shot. The bullet hit the wrist of the hand holding the gun. However, he didn’t let go of the gun even after that hit. I had hoped the pressure from the bullet would at least make him drop it, but to no avail.

  I know he doesn’t feel pain, but the shock should still cause his hand to open. How does his body work?

  Regardless, Zero didn’t miss the opportunity presented to her by his backing up.

  She rushed forward and began her own onslaught, creating a far more even match than before. Metal clashed with each other as they entered a close-quarters duel. In terms of skill and hits landed, Zero was winning. With every clash they had, Zero was penetrating his defenses and getting one or two good cuts in. However, against no.1, that wouldn’t be enough.

  He was healing almost as fast as she was cutting him, and unlike Zero, who was beginning to slow down, he showed no signs of tiredness or fatigue.

  “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up?!”

  “I can do this all night, you pale bastard!”

  Despite Zero’s bravado, I knew sooner or later she would leave an opening that No.1 wouldn’t miss. We couldn’t let her deal with this by herself.

  “No.5, have you steadied the blood yet?”

  “Almost. I need 30 more seconds.”

  I need to figure out a way to join the fight. I used this gun’s last bullet earlier, the only way I could join is….!

  “No.5, while you’re working, let me ask you something.”

  “What is it?”

  “What does it feel like to control blood? How do you do it?”

  “I don’t understand what you’re asking me, dude.”

  “Just think for a moment, have you ever thought about how you’re controlling it? Do you know the method?”

  “The method? Man, I just do it.”

  “For example, how are you steadying the blood right now?”

  “I’m taking hold of the blood in my body, makin’ it flow faster to heal better, while keepin’ my blood from leaking out.”

  “And how are you taking hold of it?”

  “Dude, I dunno! Why you askin’ so many questions?!”

  “I’m trying to figure out how to control my ability, but I can’t seem to grasp it.”

  My “soul” told me to ask myself why I can see it but can’t touch it. That in itself makes no sense. If you are able to see it and it’s within reach, you should be able to touch it. Even vapor forms, such as clouds, you’ll get a feeling from, but my hand goes right through it as if it were some sort of ghost.

  “Hmmmm…..for me at least, I didn’t do no fancy methods to unlock it. One day, my blood just started flowin’ like a river after an experiment. At first, I couldn’t control it but when I realized the blood came from my body, it just felt natural. I don’t think of it as an ability, it’s a part a’ me, and why wouldn’t I be able to control something that’s mine?”

  “It can’t be that simple.”

  “It was for me.”

  ‘AAGH!” Zero screamed.

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  We quickly looked over to see Zero with various cuts across her arms, and the suit being torn in various places. From the side angle we were viewing her, there was a large gash on her face.

  “I can’t waste anymore time!” No.5 said as he ran over to where those two were.

  Zero went for a hasty slash on No.1’s left side, but he quickly side-stepped and looked over to no.5’s direction.

  He smiled and pistol-whipped Zero across the head, causing her to stumble back and fall down as he took aim at No.5.

  “Was one hole in your body not enough for you?” He chuckled, pulling the trigger.

  No.5 quickly put up a wall of blood from his earlier wound to block no.1’s shot. The beam shot through the wall with seemingly no sign of resistance.

  “Some wall you made there. Really impeded my advance with that–!”

  His mockery was cut short by the sound of flesh tearing. It was so fast, he couldn’t react. No.5 had just sliced off No.1’s arm with newly formed blades of blood. They protruded from each of his forearms and curved inward along his arm to form curved blades.

  I expected him to be at least slightly worried, but No.1 just smiled as his severed arm landed on the ground.

  “Learned some new tricks?!” No.1 yelled happily, bending low.

  No.1 charged forward with a grin as he reached his only hand out to grab no.5. Reacting quickly, no.5 ducked under his hand and sliced open his stomach, profusely spewing blood from the wound. However, even then, his expression didn’t change. As if flaunting how little damage it did, No.1 brought his head down and chomped on No.5’s neck.

  “Agh!”

  His fang-like teeth ripped into his flesh as no.5 used his other arm to repeatedly slice him.

  “Get off! Get. Off!”

  The lacerations had no effect as No.1 seemed to be biting even harder than before. Blood gushed from the wound, with no.5 taking control over it. He formed them into small needle-like projectiles that flew at no.1, piercing through his skull, but still he refused to release his grip.

  No.1 should know that even if he continues to do this, once enough blood leaks out, he’ll lose the upper hand. What’s his goal? The only reason I could think of is if he……

  My eyes widened upon my realization. I looked near both of them and saw it. No.1’s arm, which was cut off, was crawling over to his gun.

  “No.5! His limbs can move independent from his body! He’s distracting you! Stop his arm from moving! It’s on your left!”

  No.5 attempted to turn his head left, but No.1 crunched harder on his neck, causing him to scream in pain.

  “I…..can’t turn my head with him there!”

  No.1 had positioned himself smartly. He had acted like he was making an impromptu attack out of manic rage, but was actually distracting and obscuring his vision from his arm moving. What’s worse is that by continuously applying pain, he was limiting no.5’s capabilities to do something complex.

  “Zero! Go help–!”

  I looked over to Zero to see her stumbling around in a daze, and saw blood dripping from her temple.

  No wonder she hasn’t gone to help, she’s disoriented because she got hit in the temple!

  My father always told me that the temple is one of the weakest areas in the human body. No matter how strong you are, it is a weakness that all of humanity shares. It is the one area where the skull bone is fragile, and consequently connects to the brain’s temporal lobe. Recovering from a precise blow to the temple will take some time.

  Meaning Zero can’t help him right now!

  “I….have to do something.”

  I estimated that it would take about 15 more seconds for the arm to reach the gun, and then 10 more seconds to aim it. Meaning I had 25 seconds to come up with a plan!

  I can’t move. Zero is too far. I’m out of bullets. All of my ranged projectiles have been exhausted, and I don’t have enough strength to throw my melee weapons. My only option is to use my gift! But I don’t know how!

  “GRAAAAAAAAAH!”

  No.5 yelled a battle cry as the blade on his left forearm got longer and changed shape. It went from being curved inward to a straight blade extending from his forearm, past his left arm. He thrusted forward and pulled up in an attempt to cleave him in two, but in an instant No.1 regenerated his left arm and grabbed the blade, stopping it in its tracks.

  “Graaah! You….can….regenerate limbs?!”

  I recalled all the moments when my gift had awakened. The first was against Zagra. In a moment of desperation, when I was sure certain death awaited, I was able to awaken and deflect the full blunt of the blow. At the time, I heard a voice in my head saying it would help me. At this point in time, I have identified that as the “interloper” and not my “soul”. The second time I was able to activate it was when the monster from the Forbidden Area had grabbed me, and I again, in desperation, I faced what I thought was certain death. At that time, I was able to merge particles together and used it to break through the glass. After that, the rift helped me use it once more to knock that creature in the rift. From talking with my “soul,” I learned that the “interloper’s” influence has waned, and he even commented on the fact that I can use more of my power.

  “You’re not on the same wavelength! How can you see something you can’t touch?!”

  His words repeated endlessly in my head. What is the common link between each time I activated it? The only thing I can think of is the sheer desperation of my demeanor in a near-death situation.

  “I thought of it as an extension of myself. Why wouldn’t I be able to control something that’s mine?”

  I dismissed no.5’s words previously because of how absurd they sounded. I have always thought of my gift as a tool to aid me, but was my thinking wrong? Is it truly so entwined with my being that fragile emotions can bring out its true potential?

  “AAAAAAAAGH!”

  No.5’s blood blades had gotten noticeably shorter, and No.1 had just driven his left hand into his right side. He released his jaws from his neck, with blood dripping from all over his mouth.

  “What’s wrong? I’ve swallowed some of your blood, why don’t you manipulate it from inside me? In too much pain? Or is it that you can’t?”

  No.1 glanced at the ground and smiled. I followed his eyes and saw that his arm had picked up the gun that was about 10 feet away from him. It was attempting to position itself to pull the trigger.

  I held my hand out in the direction of No.1, and attempted to bring the particles near my hand. Yet nothing happened.

  Please work! Please!

  I strained my eyes and muscles in an attempt to make them move, yet still nothing happened. At this point, the arm had its finger on the trigger and was using its elbow to prop itself up.

  Come on! What more do you want?! Work! You’re mine, right?! So work!

  The particles in the air twitched in my direction, yet did not move.

  No! I’m so close! Obey me! Obey–!

  In my angry delusion, I suddenly felt a warm hand on my wrist and the touch of smooth hair on my shoulder.

  “Let your mind be still and unwavering.” No.9 whispered into my ear.

  In that moment, it was as if my earlier franticness had disappeared. I softened my eyes and muscles and focused on my target. I held my hand out once more and entered a state of pure calm.

  Energy coalesced into my hand, and no.9 gently supported it as a brace. As it swirled and pulsed, a loud whirring sound emitted from my palm, loud enough for both no.1 and no.5 to hear.

  I’ve been thinking about it too deeply. How have I not noticed? When I use Disruption, I am scattering the particles around, exerting my own will to move them. When I use Scan, I am drawing the particles to my eyes to link with my senses. I had thought these were separate abilities with their own limitations and capabilities, but I was using the same force to exert control over these particles. The only reason they activated previously, due to my desperation, was because those were the conditions for me to awaken.

  I understand what my “soul” meant now. It was a trick question. “How do you move something you can’t touch?” By exerting an untouchable force. The “intent” to move them, the “will” to command it, to create a “reaction” by things under my control. It’s just the same as moving any body part to do a specific action. I was just too blinded by the absurdity of the concept of “gifts” to begin with.

  No.1’s smile faded as he attempted to pull his hand out from no.5’s body.

  “Let me go, you stubborn fool!”

  “Haha….*cough*! Haha! You’re not going anywhere dickhead!”

  He tried and tried but couldn’t seem to pull out the blood.

  “Bastard…! Did you solidify the blood in your body?!”

  “Hehe…….963! DO IT!”

  The energy finished charging, and I tensed my muscles for the recoil.

  “Disruption!”

  The energy launched like a thin missile, right toward no.1’s head.

  “Tch! You–!”

  He couldn’t finish his last words as the energy went straight through his head, and any sign of life he still left in his eyes dissipated. His body went limp as he fell backwards, with no.5 finally releasing his hand from his body.

  “It’s….over. We’ve won.” I said as I softened my muscles and mind in relief.

  “963, are you ok?!” No.9 screamed in my ear.

  “Thanks to you. Thank you truly, without you, all of us would have lost our lives here.”

  “A-A-Ah, it’s nothing!”

  I looked at the damage on my comrades. Zero, once seeing that no.1 was incapacitated, had sat down while holding her head in an attempt to regain her bearings. She had a large gash across her forehead that was still dripping blood, but had significantly decreased due to a flower blooming on the wound that was absorbing the blood.

  No.5, on the other hand, was in far more dire straits. His left shoulder had a chunk torn off due to no.1’s jaws, he had a hole on his right side and near his abdomen, and was bleeding from each of these wounds. He had neither the strength nor the capability to delay the bleeding and was laid down half-conscious.

  “No.9, you seem worn out from using your ability, but may I impose on you once more?”

  “Of course, I already know what I need to do.”

  She haggardly walked over to no.5, whispered something in his ear, then propped him up on her shoulder and started walking back to where we were sitting. Presumably to lean him against the wall.

  I slowly stood up as Zero walked back over to me, rubbing her head.

  “About time you contributed, sleepyhead. Where was that blast when I was getting beaten up?”

  “I came through in the end, didn’t I?”

  She warmly smiled as tears streamed down her face.

  “We did it, didn’t we? We’re free!”

  “We are.”

  I held my fist up in front of her and gave the most genuine smile I could muster.

  “To our continued journey together.”

  “Hahaha! So cheesy! But…..yeah.”

  She held her fist up as well, but before we could bump them, we heard an ominous sound, followed by a large explosion to our left.

  We all turned in the direction of the sound as intense heat swelled past our faces. Both of us put our arms up to defend against the suffocating waves of arid air blowing past us. And when we put our arms down, we saw it.

  Wearing a black suit and pants, with long-flowing black hair, he arrived as a denizen of the night. Yet with him came burning red eyes and a raiment of flame adorning his figure, illuminating the night as if he were a guardian of the sun.

  We were all left speechless upon his arrival, as he eyed the battlefield. Looking at No.9 and No.5 sitting there with fear in their eyes, looking at the incapacitated Dr. Verrat and no.1, and finally turning his gaze toward Zero and me.

  A furious expression took form on his face as his flames burned ever brighter.

  “What….is the meaning of this?”